Method for controlling defrosting of air duct and air-cooled refrigerator

Abstract

The application provides a defrosting control method for an air duct and a wind-cooled refrigerator. The defrosting control method comprises the following steps: obtaining a defrosting starting signal; controlling a defrosting heater at an evaporator to work; when the temperature at the evaporator reaches a first temperature threshold, controlling the defrosting heater to stop working, and then controlling a supply fan in a refrigeration system to work to transport air at the evaporator to the air duct to realize air duct defrosting. The defrosting control method can transport the air heated by the defrosting heater at the evaporator to the air duct through the supply fan in the refrigeration system based on the existing components of the wind-cooled refrigerator, so that the air duct defrosting is completed, and the manufacturing cost of the wind-cooled refrigerator can be effectively controlled.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of refrigeration equipment technology, specifically to a defrosting control method for air ducts and an air-cooled refrigerator. Background Technology

[0002] Existing air-cooled refrigerators typically include a refrigerator compartment, a freezer compartment, and an air duct connecting the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment. The refrigerator compartment is generally located above the freezer compartment. When cooling is required, a blower delivers air from the evaporator to the freezer compartment, and then delivers it to the refrigerator compartment through the air duct, thereby meeting the cooling needs of the refrigerator compartment.

[0003] However, since the temperature of the freezer compartment is usually lower than that of the refrigerator compartment, and the air duct keeps the refrigerator and freezer compartments connected, humid air inside the refrigerator compartment can easily flow into the freezer compartment through the air duct. As the humid air moves from the refrigerator compartment to the freezer compartment, due to the relatively low temperature in the freezer compartment, the moisture in the air gradually condenses into frost within the air duct. As more and more frost accumulates, the space available for airflow within the air duct becomes increasingly smaller, eventually leading to blockage and affecting the cooling efficiency of the refrigeration system. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides a defrosting control method for air ducts and an air-cooled refrigerator to solve the problem of low cooling efficiency caused by frost condensation and blockage in the air ducts of traditional air-cooled refrigerators.

[0005] To achieve one of the above-mentioned objectives, one embodiment of the present invention provides a method for controlling defrosting of air ducts, which includes the following steps:

[0006] Receive defrost start signal;

[0007] Control the operation of the defrosting heater at the evaporator;

[0008] When the temperature at the evaporator reaches the first temperature threshold, the defrosting heater is controlled to stop working, and then the air supply fan in the refrigeration system is controlled to work to deliver the air at the evaporator into the air duct to achieve defrosting of the air duct.

[0009] As a further improvement to the above technology, the air duct defrosting control method also includes:

[0010] After executing the step "controlling the operation of the air supply fan in the refrigeration system", it is determined whether the temperature at the evaporator has dropped to a second temperature threshold; wherein the second temperature threshold is less than the first temperature threshold.

[0011] When the temperature at the evaporator drops to the second temperature threshold, the blower is controlled to stop working, and then the defrosting heater is controlled to work until the temperature at the evaporator reaches the first temperature threshold.

[0012] As a further improvement to the above technology, the air duct defrosting control method also includes:

[0013] When performing the step "controlling the operation of the air supply fan in the refrigeration system", the compressor is also controlled to operate simultaneously;

[0014] When executing the steps "controlling the air supply fan to stop working and controlling the defrosting heater to work", the compressor is simultaneously controlled to stop working.

[0015] As a further improvement to the above technology, the air duct defrosting control method also includes:

[0016] The cumulative number of times the temperature at the evaporator drops to the second temperature threshold;

[0017] When the number of times is greater than or equal to the threshold, the defrosting process ends.

[0018] As a further improvement to the above technology, the defrosting start signal is when the running length of the refrigeration system is greater than or equal to the running length threshold, the temperature at the evaporator is less than or equal to the third temperature threshold, and the compartment temperature inside the refrigerator is less than or equal to the target temperature.

[0019] As a further improvement to the above technology, the step of "obtaining the defrost start signal" specifically includes:

[0020] Obtain the compartment temperature inside the refrigerator;

[0021] Based on the compartment temperature inside the cold storage room, construct the temperature change curve inside the cold storage room;

[0022] Based on the temperature change curve, the slope of the temperature change curve is obtained;

[0023] When the slope of the curve is greater than or equal to the first slope threshold, the step "controlling the defrosting heater at the evaporator to operate" is executed.

[0024] As a further improvement to the above technology, under frost-free conditions in the air duct, the slope of the temperature change curve inside the refrigerator compartment is a standard slope value; the first slope threshold is k times the standard slope value; where 0 <k<1。

[0025] As a further improvement to the above technology, the air duct defrosting control method also includes:

[0026] After executing the step "controlling the operation of the air supply fan in the refrigeration system", obtain the compartment temperature inside the refrigerator.

[0027] Based on the compartment temperature inside the cold storage room, construct the temperature change curve inside the cold storage room;

[0028] Based on the temperature change curve, the slope of the temperature change curve is obtained;

[0029] Determine whether the slope of the curve is greater than or equal to the second slope threshold;

[0030] When the slope of the curve is greater than or equal to the second slope threshold, the defrosting process ends.

[0031] As a further improvement to the above technology, the air duct defrosting control method also includes:

[0032] When executing the step "controlling the defrosting heater at the evaporator", the working time of the defrosting heater is accumulated; when the working time exceeds the working time threshold, the defrosting program is terminated.

[0033] In one embodiment of the present invention, a frost-free refrigerator is also provided. The frost-free refrigerator includes a refrigerator compartment, a refrigeration system, and a main control module. The refrigeration system includes an air duct, an evaporator, a defrosting heater disposed on the evaporator, and a temperature monitoring module disposed on the refrigerator compartment. The main control module includes a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When the processor executes the computer program, it can implement the above-described air duct defrosting control method.

[0034] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the air duct defrosting control method and the air-cooled refrigerator provided in an embodiment of the present invention are as follows: Based on the components of the existing air-cooled refrigerator, the above-mentioned air duct defrosting control method delivers the air heated by the defrosting heater at the evaporator to the air duct through the air supply fan in the refrigeration system, thereby completing the air duct defrosting and ensuring that the manufacturing cost of the air-cooled refrigerator remains unchanged. Attached Figure Description

[0035] Figure 1 This is a schematic flowchart of a defrosting control method for air ducts provided in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the temperature changes in the refrigerator compartment before defrosting begins in the air duct of an air-cooled refrigerator, showing the conditions of no frost in the air duct, frosting in the air duct, and complete frost blockage in the air duct.

[0037] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the temperature changes in the refrigerator compartment during the defrosting process in the air duct of a frost-free state, a frosted state, and a completely frost-blocked state in the air duct during the defrosting process of the air-cooled refrigerator provided in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the control logic of the air duct defrosting control method provided in one embodiment of the present invention during the defrosting process. Detailed Implementation

[0039] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0040] It should be noted that the terms "first" and "second" can be used to describe various elements or structures, but these objects should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish these objects from one another and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated.

[0041] One embodiment of the present invention provides a method for controlling defrosting of air ducts. Figure 1 This is a schematic flowchart of a defrosting control method for air ducts according to an embodiment of the present invention. The defrosting control method for air ducts includes the following steps:

[0042] S10, Receive defrost start signal;

[0043] S20 controls the operation of the defrosting heater at the evaporator;

[0044] S30, when the temperature at the evaporator reaches the first temperature threshold, control the defrosting heater to stop working;

[0045] S40 controls the operation of the air supply fan in the refrigeration system to deliver air from the evaporator into the air duct, thereby achieving defrosting of the air duct.

[0046] In summary, the defrosting control method for air ducts provided in this embodiment, based on the components of existing air-cooled refrigerators, uses a blower in the refrigeration system to deliver air heated by the defrosting heater at the evaporator into the air duct, thereby completing the defrosting process and ensuring that the manufacturing cost of the air-cooled refrigerator remains unchanged.

[0047] In this embodiment, since the temperature at the evaporator gradually decreases during the process of the blower transporting hot air from the evaporator into the duct, the duct defrosting control method further includes the following to ensure defrosting efficiency within the duct:

[0048] After executing step S40, "Control the operation of the air supply fan in the refrigeration system",

[0049] Determine whether the temperature at the evaporator has dropped to a second temperature threshold; wherein the second temperature threshold is less than the first temperature threshold;

[0050] When the temperature at the evaporator drops to the second temperature threshold, the blower is controlled to stop working, and the defrosting heater is controlled to work until the temperature at the evaporator reaches the first temperature threshold.

[0051] Optionally, the first temperature threshold can be set to 20 degrees Celsius, and the second temperature threshold can be set to 10 degrees Celsius. This avoids excessively high temperatures at the evaporator affecting food refrigeration in the freezer compartment while ensuring defrosting efficiency within the air duct. Of course, in other embodiments of the present invention, the first and second temperature thresholds can be set to other values. The first and second temperature thresholds are obtained by those skilled in the art through numerous experiments. The first and second temperature thresholds listed in this embodiment are merely one set value obtained from numerous experiments.

[0052] In one embodiment of the present invention, when the blower delivers hot air from the evaporator to the air duct, the compressor can be controlled to start, thereby reducing the air temperature at the evaporator and preventing high-temperature air from entering the freezer and refrigerator compartments, which could damage the food stored in the freezer and refrigerator compartments. Specifically, the air duct defrosting control method further includes:

[0053] When performing step S40, "controlling the operation of the air supply fan in the refrigeration system", the compressor is also controlled to operate.

[0054] When executing the steps "controlling the air supply fan to stop working and controlling the defrosting heater to work", the compressor is simultaneously controlled to stop working.

[0055] In one embodiment of the present invention, in order to ensure that the frost inside the air duct completely melts while also preventing the temperature inside the air duct from becoming too high and affecting the storage of food in the refrigerator compartment, the air duct defrosting control method further includes:

[0056] The cumulative number of times the temperature at the evaporator drops to the second temperature threshold;

[0057] When the number of times is greater than or equal to the threshold, the defrosting process ends.

[0058] The number of trials threshold can be set to 3. Of course, in other embodiments of the present invention, the number of trials threshold can also be set to other values. The number of trials threshold is obtained by those skilled in the art through experiments. The number of trials threshold listed in this embodiment is just one set value obtained from numerous experiments.

[0059] In this embodiment, the defrosting control method further includes monitoring the frost condition in the air duct before defrosting begins. Optionally, the monitoring of the frost condition in the air duct can be based on factors such as the operating time of the refrigeration system, the temperature at the evaporator, and whether the compartment temperature in the refrigerator compartment has reached the target value.

[0060] Specifically, in this embodiment, the defrosting start signal can be set to a running length of the refrigeration system greater than or equal to a running length threshold, a temperature at the evaporator less than or equal to a third temperature threshold, and a compartment temperature in the refrigerator less than or equal to a target temperature.

[0061] The runtime threshold can be set to 180 minutes. The third temperature threshold can be set to -35 degrees Celsius. The target temperature is preset by the user according to their needs. The runtime threshold and the third temperature threshold are also values ​​obtained by technicians through experimentation. When the temperature at the evaporator reaches -35 degrees Celsius, the aforementioned defrosting process begins, ensuring that the temperature of food stored in the freezer compartment is around -20 degrees Celsius. This temperature is lower than the normal storage temperature of the freezer compartment, thus preventing the food stored in the freezer compartment from melting during the defrosting process and ensuring the refrigeration quality of the food stored in the freezer compartment. Under normal circumstances, the storage temperature of the freezer compartment is generally set to -18 degrees Celsius.

[0062] The control logic of the duct defrosting control method provided in one embodiment of the present invention is as follows: During the continuous operation of the refrigeration system, when the temperature at the evaporator drops to -35 degrees Celsius and the continuous operation time of the refrigeration system reaches more than 180 minutes, if the temperature of the compartment in the refrigerator compartment still does not reach the target value set by the user, the main control module determines that the duct is blocked by frost and runs the duct defrosting program. The main control module controls the defrosting heater at the evaporator to work; when the temperature at the evaporator reaches the first temperature threshold, it controls the defrosting heater to stop working, and then controls the air blower and compressor in the refrigeration system to start working; during the operation of the air blower and compressor, the temperature at the evaporator gradually decreases until the temperature at the evaporator drops to the second temperature threshold, at which point it controls the air blower and compressor to stop working, and then controls the defrosting heater to work; when the temperature at the evaporator reaches the first temperature threshold again, the steps of "controlling the defrosting heater to stop working and controlling the air blower and compressor in the refrigeration system to work" are repeated.

[0063] During the cycle of temperature at the evaporator from "first temperature threshold - second temperature threshold - first temperature threshold", when the temperature at the evaporator drops to the second temperature threshold for the third time, the main control module determines that defrosting is complete in the air duct and controls the defrosting program to end.

[0064] In one embodiment of the present invention, a defrosting control method for air ducts is also provided, which differs from the above embodiments in that: the frost condition in the air duct is judged before the defrosting begins and the frost in the air duct is judged during the defrosting process to determine whether it has completely melted.

[0065] Specifically, such as Figure 2 As shown, Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the temperature changes in the refrigerator compartment before defrosting begins in an air-cooled refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, under three conditions: no frost in the air duct, frost in the air duct, and complete frost blockage in the air duct. It can be seen that the frost condition in the air duct affects the temperature change inside the refrigerator compartment. When there is frost in the air duct, the temperature decreases less rapidly than when there is no frost in the air duct; in fact, the temperature may even rise when the air duct is completely blocked by frost. Therefore, in this embodiment, step S10, "obtaining the defrosting start signal," specifically includes:

[0066] Obtain the compartment temperature inside the refrigerator;

[0067] Based on the compartment temperature inside the cold storage room, construct the temperature change curve inside the cold storage room;

[0068] Based on the temperature change curve, the slope of the temperature change curve is obtained;

[0069] When the slope of the curve is greater than or equal to the first slope threshold, the step "controlling the defrosting heater at the evaporator to operate" is executed.

[0070] Wherein, under frost-free conditions in the air duct, the slope of the temperature change curve inside the refrigerator is the standard slope value; the first slope threshold is k times the standard slope value; where 0 <k<1。

[0071] Optionally, k can be set to 0.75. Of course, in other embodiments of the present invention, k can also be set to other values. k is obtained by those skilled in the art through experiments. The threshold number listed in this embodiment is just a set value obtained from numerous experiments.

[0072] During the defrosting process, the air temperature at the evaporator is higher than the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the temperature changes in the refrigerator compartment during the defrosting process in an air-cooled refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing the conditions in the air ducts: no frost, frost-covered air ducts, and completely frost-blocked air ducts. It can be seen that the degree of frost melting in the air ducts also accelerates the rise in the compartment temperature within the refrigerator compartment. Therefore, whether the frost in the air ducts has completely melted during the defrosting process can be determined based on the changes in the compartment temperature within the refrigerator compartment.

[0073] Specifically, in this embodiment, the air duct defrosting control method further includes:

[0074] After executing the step "controlling the operation of the air supply fan in the refrigeration system", obtain the compartment temperature inside the refrigerator.

[0075] Based on the compartment temperature inside the cold storage room, construct the temperature change curve inside the cold storage room;

[0076] Based on the temperature change curve, the slope of the temperature change curve is obtained;

[0077] Determine whether the slope of the curve is greater than or equal to the second slope threshold;

[0078] When the slope of the curve is greater than or equal to the second slope threshold, the defrosting process ends.

[0079] The second slope threshold is set as the slope of the temperature rise curve inside the refrigerator compartment when the air duct is completely frost-free during the defrosting process. That is, during the defrosting process, when the main control module detects that the slope of the temperature change curve inside the refrigerator compartment is greater than or equal to the second slope threshold, it determines that the frost in the air duct has completely melted and controls the defrosting program to end.

[0080] In this embodiment, as Figure 4 As shown, in order to avoid the continuous rise in temperature of the freezer and refrigerator compartments during the defrosting process, which would affect the refrigeration of food in the freezer and refrigerator compartments, the defrosting program is controlled to end when the cumulative working time of the defrosting heater at the evaporator exceeds the working time threshold.

[0081] Specifically, the air duct defrosting control method further includes:

[0082] When executing the step "controlling the defrosting heater at the evaporator", the working time of the defrosting heater is accumulated; when the working time exceeds the working time threshold, the defrosting program is terminated.

[0083] The working time of the defrosting heater can be set to h, and the working time threshold can be set to 120 minutes, that is, h ≤ 120 minutes (min). Of course, in other embodiments of the present invention, the working time threshold can also be set to other values. The working time threshold is obtained by technicians through numerous experiments. The working time threshold listed in this embodiment is just a set value obtained from numerous experiments.

[0084] Furthermore, this specification provides the method operation steps described in the embodiments or flowcharts. However, based on conventional or non-inventive labor, more or fewer operation steps may be included. The order of steps listed in this embodiment is merely one possible execution order among many and does not represent the only possible execution order. When the above-described duct defrosting control method is implemented in a real system or device product, it can be executed sequentially or in parallel according to the methods shown in the embodiments or drawings.

[0085] In summary, the beneficial effects of the air duct defrosting control method provided in one embodiment of the present invention are as follows: Based on the components of existing air-cooled refrigerators, the above-mentioned air duct defrosting control method uses a blower in the refrigeration system to deliver air heated by the defrosting heater at the evaporator into the air duct, thereby completing the air duct defrosting and ensuring that the manufacturing cost of the air-cooled refrigerator remains unchanged. Furthermore, when the blower delivers the hot air from the evaporator into the air duct, the above-mentioned air duct defrosting control method simultaneously controls the compressor to start, which can reduce the air temperature at the evaporator, thereby preventing high-temperature air from entering the freezer and refrigerator compartments and causing damage to the food stored in the freezer and refrigerator compartments.

[0086] One embodiment of the present invention also provides a frost-free refrigerator, which includes a freezer compartment, a refrigerator compartment, a refrigeration system, and a main control module. The refrigeration system includes an air duct, an evaporator, a defrosting heater disposed on the evaporator, and a temperature monitoring module disposed on the refrigerator compartment. The main control module includes a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When the processor executes the computer program, it can implement the above-described air duct defrosting control method.

[0087] The air-cooled refrigerator provided in this embodiment of the invention can be used to execute the air duct defrosting control method described above. Therefore, the beneficial effects it can achieve can be referred to the beneficial effects corresponding to the air duct defrosting control method described above, and will not be repeated here.

[0088] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps in the above-described air duct defrosting control method can be implemented by a program instructing related hardware. This program is stored in a memory and includes several instructions to cause a device (which may be a microcontroller, chip, etc.) or processor to execute all or part of the steps of the method described in this application. The aforementioned memory includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0089] It should be understood that although this specification describes embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution. This way of describing the specification is only for clarity. Those skilled in the art should regard the specification as a whole. The technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0090] The detailed descriptions listed above are merely specific descriptions of feasible embodiments of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. All equivalent embodiments or modifications made without departing from the spirit of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for controlling defrosting in air ducts, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Receive defrost start signal; Control the operation of the defrosting heater at the evaporator; When the temperature at the evaporator reaches the first temperature threshold, the defrosting heater is controlled to stop working, and then the air supply fan in the refrigeration system is controlled to work to deliver the air at the evaporator to the air duct to achieve defrosting of the air duct. The air duct defrosting control method also includes: After executing the step "controlling the operation of the air supply fan in the refrigeration system", it is determined whether the temperature at the evaporator has dropped to a second temperature threshold; wherein the second temperature threshold is less than the first temperature threshold. When the temperature at the evaporator drops to the second temperature threshold, the blower is controlled to stop working, and then the defrost heater is controlled to work until the temperature at the evaporator reaches the first temperature threshold. The air duct defrosting control method also includes: When performing the step "controlling the operation of the air supply fan in the refrigeration system", the compressor is also controlled to operate simultaneously; When executing the steps "controlling the air supply fan to stop working and controlling the defrosting heater to work", the compressor is simultaneously controlled to stop working. The above step of "obtaining the defrost start signal" specifically includes: Obtain the compartment temperature inside the refrigerator; Based on the compartment temperature inside the cold storage room, construct the temperature change curve inside the cold storage room; Based on the temperature change curve, the slope of the temperature change curve is obtained; When the slope of the curve is greater than or equal to the first slope threshold, the step "control the defrosting heater at the evaporator to work" is executed. The air duct defrosting control method also includes: After executing the step "controlling the operation of the air supply fan in the refrigeration system", obtain the compartment temperature inside the refrigerator. Based on the compartment temperature inside the cold storage room, construct the temperature change curve inside the cold storage room; Based on the temperature change curve, the slope of the temperature change curve is obtained; Determine whether the slope of the curve is greater than or equal to the second slope threshold; When the slope of the curve is greater than or equal to the second slope threshold, the defrosting process ends.

2. The defrosting control method for air ducts according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air duct defrosting control method also includes: The cumulative number of times the temperature at the evaporator drops to the second temperature threshold; When the number of times is greater than or equal to the threshold, the defrosting process ends.

3. The defrosting control method for air ducts according to claim 1, characterized in that, The defrost start signal is when the operating time of the refrigeration system is greater than or equal to the operating time threshold, the temperature at the evaporator is less than or equal to the third temperature threshold, and the compartment temperature inside the refrigerator is less than or equal to the target temperature.

4. The air duct defrosting control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Under frost-free conditions in the air duct, the slope of the temperature change curve inside the refrigerator compartment is a standard slope value; the first slope threshold is k times the standard slope value; where 0 <k<1。 5. The defrosting control method for air ducts according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air duct defrosting control method also includes: When executing the step "controlling the defrosting heater at the evaporator", the working time of the defrosting heater is accumulated; when the working time exceeds the working time threshold, the defrosting program is terminated.

6. A frost-free refrigerator, comprising a refrigerator compartment, a refrigeration system, and a main control module, wherein the refrigeration system includes an air duct, an evaporator, a defrosting heater disposed on the evaporator, and a temperature monitoring module disposed on the refrigerator compartment; characterized in that, The main control module includes a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When the processor executes the computer program, it implements the air duct defrosting control method as described in any one of claims 1-5.

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